STS Impact Windows, Doors & Roofing is a veteran-owned company based in South Florida that specializes in premium hurricane protection solutions, including impact windows, doors, custom storefronts, and roofing. Combining over 25 years of industry experience with military precision, STS provides expert installation, full transparency, and outstanding customer service, backed by a leading 3-year installation warranty. Their comprehensive services ensure security and peace of mind for both residential and commercial clients, with a strong focus on quality, reliability, and efficiency.
View on Google MapsSTS Impact Windows and Doors specializes in hurricane protection solutions, offering high-quality impact windows, storm-resistant doors, custom storefronts, and professional roofing services. With expert installation, full transparency, and outstanding customer service, the company ensures homes and businesses stay secure and energy-efficient.
STS Impact Windows and Doors is located at 1000 Holland Dr Suite 10, Boca Raton, FL 33487, United States. The company proudly serves residential and commercial clients across Florida and throughout the United States, delivering reliable storm protection solutions. View their location on Google Maps.
Yes, STS Impact Windows and Doors is a veteran-owned company recognized for its dedication, integrity, and service to the community. This background adds an extra level of trust and reliability for homeowners and businesses seeking storm protection solutions.
STS Impact Windows and Doors provides a wide range of services including the installation of hurricane impact windows, impact doors, custom commercial storefronts, and roofing services. Each project is backed by expert craftsmanship, a 3-year installation warranty, and over 25 years of industry experience.
The company proudly serves both residential homeowners and commercial property owners. From protecting family homes to fortifying businesses with hurricane-rated storefronts, STS Impact Windows and Doors delivers customized solutions that ensure safety, durability, and efficiency.
Clients benefit from the company’s focus on quality, reliability, and efficiency. Their impact-resistant windows and doors not only enhance security and hurricane protection but also improve energy efficiency, reduce noise, and increase property value. With a 3-year installation warranty, customers can trust in long-term performance and peace of mind.
STS Impact Windows and Doors has been recognized with multiple industry honors, including the South Florida Veteran Owned Business Excellence Award, Best Hurricane Protection Provider 2023 Florida, and the Angi’s Super Service Award for Window Installation. These awards highlight their commitment to excellence, customer satisfaction, and industry leadership.
You can reach STS Impact Windows and Doors by phone at 561-600-1018 or visit their website at stswindows.com. They are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm and are available on Facebook and Instagram for updates and project showcases.
Business Name: STS Impact Windows & Doors
Address: 1000 Holland Dr #10, Boca Raton, FL 33487, United States
Phone: (561)-600-1018
Hurricane season shapes life along Florida's coasts. You feel it in the method next-door neighbors track tropical waves, the pre-storm rush to stock up, and the routine of hauling ladders to install panels. After 20 years specifying, setting up, and repairing building envelopes from Key Largo to Palm Beach, I have actually seen what holds up and what does not. When the objective is real defense with year-round convenience, Miami-Dade authorized, energy‑efficient impact windows outshine shutters in ways that surpass storm day. They change how a home feels in August, how quiet your living room remains on a Saturday night, and how confident you are when a storm line spins up faster than predicted.
This is a practical take a look at why many South Florida homeowners are moving from shutters to cyclone impact-resistant windows, how to read the requirements behind "Miami-Dade approved," what products matter, and how to get the installation right the first time.
Miami-Dade County's Product Control Division sets among the most difficult benchmarks in the country for developing parts exposed to windborne debris. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is made through particular lab tests that simulate genuine typhoon conditions.
First comes big missile effect. A 9-pound 2x4 is contended the glass at approximately 34 miles per hour. That imitates roof tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the impact, the exact same unit deals with cyclic pressure loading, countless pressurization and depressurization cycles that mimic rapid wind gusts over hours. If the glass remains in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The distinction between "meets Florida building code windows" and "Miami-Dade approved windows" typically resides in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is just stiffer, especially in High Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements, that include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind rankings vary by opening size and design pressures, represented as PSF worths. On ocean-facing residential or commercial properties or high-rises, I frequently specify units ranked at +60/ -80 PSF or higher. Inland or in more secured exposures, scores in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can be sufficient, but you size and spec based upon the site's wind map, building height, and surrounding structures. An expert understands that a corner exposure at the second story demands various reinforcement than a sheltered window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs impact windows is not a one-to-one contrast. Shutters can fulfill code, and they're better than nothing. But they ask you to do work at the worst possible time. When a watch turns to a caution and the forecast track tightens up, the last thing you want is a ladder, a dead cordless drill, and a missing wing nut.
Impact windows reside in location. You get continuous protection, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on US 1. You likewise get advantages every day of the year.
Noise control is the most underappreciated benefit. Laminated effect glass is basically a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a durable interlayer, usually PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps noise. On tasks along busy passages like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight paths, I have actually measured interior noise drops in the 5 to 10 decibel variety, sometimes more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security improves due to the fact that laminated glass resists forced entry. A burglar can shatter the outer lite with a hammer, but the interlayer holds the shards. They satisfy a sticky, stubborn membrane instead of a fast course inside. Insurance underwriters understand this, which is why policies often offer credits for impact doors and windows. In my jobs, premiums normally drop 10 to 25 percent, depending on the carrier and how many openings are protected.
Energy efficiency is the third pillar. Energy-efficient effect windows with modern low-E impact glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while maintaining noticeable light. That means less a/c demand, especially on west and south direct exposures where the afternoon sun punishes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we replaced 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E impact systems. Summertime afternoon peak load dropped by roughly a lots of cooling, and the home's yearly electrical energy usage fell between 12 and 18 percent. Outcomes vary with shading, attic insulation, and HVAC efficiency, however the instructions is consistent.
Laminated effect glass is the heart of the system, but not all laminated items are equal.
Most property hurricane windows use a PVB interlayer glass stack, commonly 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or several plies. Thicker interlayers enhance effect resistance and sound control, however they include weight and expense. For oceanfront or high openings, you might see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and more powerful than PVB, allowing thinner areas to achieve higher style pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB formulas modify the polymer to better absorb noise in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz variety, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows come up typically in discussions because tempered glass is stronger in bending than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are commonly used as the outer or inner ply in an effect unit. But tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the typhoon sense. When it stops working, it blows up into small cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening susceptible. The impact performance originates from laminated building, not tempering by itself. Lots of systems utilize a tempered outer lite laminated to an annealed inner lite, or both tempered, however always bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E coverings matter for comfort. A soft-coat low-E tuned for South Florida generally targets a solar heat gain coefficient in the 0.25 to 0.35 variety while keeping visible light transmission around 50 percent or greater. Go too short on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, particularly in bigger openings. The sweet spot depends upon your façade orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I frequently tighten up SHGC and accept a minor tint to handle early morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I favor greater visible transmittance for daylighting.

Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames control here due to the fact that they handle big openings and won't swell. Thermal breaks and improved glazing gaskets have actually narrowed the energy gap with vinyl. Top quality vinyl impact frames, when strengthened correctly, can perform well for standard-sized openings and have much better insulating values, but I avoid them for extremely broad sliders or tall storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad units look lovely in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they demand cautious upkeep and clever flashing. The Florida sun ruins low-cost vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum finishes rapidly. Try to find powder-coated surfaces ranked for coastal exposure, and demand composed service warranty information in salt-air environments.
Window setup can make or break performance. An expensive system installed like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's stress test. The load path is the core. Effect forces have to take a trip from the glass through the frame, to the anchors, into the substrate, and then into the structure's framing or masonry.
In cinder block building and construction, you desire stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into strong material. Hollow cells must be grouted or you need to hit the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to happen. In wood-framed homes, structural screws must bite into solid trimmers, not just sheathing. Shimming and plumb alignment matter so the locks engage cleanly and the weatherstripping compresses evenly.
The sealant joint is not just aesthetic. An appropriately sized backer rod and high-quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant create a long lasting, versatile seal that manages thermal growth. Too little a bead and it tears under motion. Too big and it remedies improperly. On seaside jobs, I never match different metals without a barrier, and I constantly define corrosion-resistant fasteners. Ten years later on, you will see who took shortcuts.
Flashing is the other non-negotiable. Pan flashing at sills, self-adhered membranes at jambs and heads, and integration with the water-resistive barrier are vital. If you count on sealant alone, water will find its way in. That moisture may not show up as a drip. It might rot a sill plate gradually, then betray itself as a buckling flooring or a musty odor two typhoon seasons later.
I have absolutely nothing against well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are maintained and lubricated, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even detachable panels saved carefully can safeguard homes efficiently. They likewise assist in particular cases.
Second homes or seasonal leasings where budget is tight often lean on shutters to fulfill the Florida building regulations windows requirement for secured openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is hardly ever utilized in summertime, a tidy motorized roll-down can be affordable, especially if pairing with effect windows and doors somewhere else stresses the budget plan. For property owners who plan to move within a year, shutters can be a brief bridge to compliance before a sale.
But shutters bring compromises. They darken your house when deployed, and they need action at exactly the time you are juggling insurance documents, gas cans, and family logistics. During Hurricane Irma, I saw a neighbor attempt to install steel panels hours before landfall. The ladder sank in saturated soil, a panel slipped, and we spent the next hour in the urgent care waiting space. He made it through with stitches. His living-room window did not. Shutters likewise rattle and can vibrate under continual winds, often loosening up fasteners with time if not maintained.
For long-lasting owners who wish to set it and forget it, impact windows offer cyclone proof windows protection while maintaining daytime and view. The convenience grows valuable once you have actually experienced one storm season with absolutely no prep beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes combat 2 battles: hidden load from humidity and reasonable load from direct solar heat gain. Effect glass upgrades can help both if specified intelligently.
Low-E effect glass uses microscopically thin metal layers to reflect infrared energy while letting visible light through. With the best covering stacks, you can obstruct a large portion of radiant heat and UV. UV clog in laminated systems comes mainly from the interlayer itself, which generally filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, decreasing fading of materials and flooring. Include the low-E, and you curb the solar heat that drives your a/c crazy midafternoon.
I evaluate glass specifications with 3 numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still helps here by minimizing nighttime heat flow and keeping the interior glass temperature level closer to space temperature level, which decreases condensation risk. SHGC drives just how much solar heat enters. VT affects how brilliant the interior feels. Balance is key. Some property owners want the crisp, clear appearance of greater VT, even if it suggests accepting a few degrees more heat in late afternoon, since their landscaping and roofing system overhangs currently do some shading. Others prefer a stronger tint for glare control on waterfront lots that show harsh light.
In useful terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to contemporary low-E laminated double-glazed units can lower peak solar gains by 30 to half on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored outside finishes, and a properly sized variable-speed a/c, and you begin to construct resilience. If the grid goes down and you switch to a generator, a lower cooling load implies a smaller sized generator and less gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notification of Approval, or NOA, is the document you ask for. It information the authorized configurations, sizes, anchors, and pressures evaluated. It is insufficient to hear "these are Miami-Dade authorized windows" in a display room. Confirm the NOA matches the exact model and options you are purchasing, including the glazing makeup and hardware. If you remain in Broward or Miami-Dade, your allowing workplace will want this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Item Approval system supplies FL numbers that reveal code compliance. In the remainder of the state outside the High Velocity Typhoon Zone, Florida building code windows can count on Florida Product Approval without Miami-Dade particular NOAs. Numerous top makers bring both. Where budget plans enable, I choose NOA items even outside the zone since the testing is stiffer.
NFRC labels deal with energy metrics. They will not tell you effect performance, however they show U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leakage. Go for air leak at or below 0.3 cfm/ft TWO. Tighter is much better for humidity control, but make sure your home still has actually stabilized ventilation. Sealing the envelope and neglecting fresh air is a recipe for indoor air quality complaints.
Impact windows cost more in advance than shutters. There's no spin around that. Installed expenses vary with size, shape, finish, and gain access to. On straightforward single-family homes, per-opening expenses frequently land in between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for standard sizes. Large multi-panel sliders, custom-made arches, and coastal-grade finishes raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recoup worth:
If you plan to own the property for five years or more, the math frequently tilts in favor of effect windows, particularly when you factor the intangible of assurance. If you prepare to sell within a year and need to reveal compliance quickly, shutters might make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I take note of hardware and accessories. Multi-point locks on sashes and awnings enhance seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless housings glide smoother and last longer on sandy patio areas. Take a look at the sill design on moving doors. Weep systems need to be crafted to drain heavy rainfall without letting wind-driven water blow back in. Ask to see a cutaway sample in the showroom.
Tint colors and reflectivity are more than fashion. Reflective movies can contravene of neighborhood watch or produce mirror-like glare towards surrounding properties. In seaside ecosystems, extremely reflective glass can confuse birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Regional pros understand which finishings balance performance with compliance.
Color stability is a big offer. Dark bronze or black frames look great on contemporary homes, however in Florida Impact resistant glass sun low-cost surfaces chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coverings provide the best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for seaside exposures whenever spending plans allow.
Historic districts often require profiles that imitate old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, but lead times extend and costs climb. Expect additional review by architectural boards, and line up a contractor acquainted with these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations in some cases specify a narrow list of authorized items for harmony. They also care about sound control in between units. If your building sits directly on Collins Opportunity or faces a busy beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated options. Work with building management on staging and lift gain access to. Weekend work windows and restricted parking can add days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, require special attention in style pressure, deflection, and running hardware. Not every unit that looks strong in a display room fulfills the wind loads on a ninth-floor veranda. Do not depend on brochure maximum sizes. Utilize the NOA tables that correspond to your website's zone, positive and unfavorable pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The finest tasks begin with a measured study and direct exposure analysis. You map each opening, keep in mind the substrate, and determine any framing abnormalities or settlement fractures. Throughout proposal, the specialist shows you the NOA and the Florida Product Approval, notes anchor types, and explains how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They plan for stucco or drywall repair work, not pretend no damage will occur.
On set up day, they eliminate one opening at a time to keep the house safe and secure. They safeguard floors, draw back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames bring out care to maintain interior finishes. New systems get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The crew checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They photograph anchors for the permit file, particularly if they will be concealed. After glazing, they water-test with a regulated spray to confirm drainage paths and seals. The inspector sees a cool jobsite, clear labels, and documentation in order.
Six months later, your windows still close with two fingers, locks bite smoothly, and there is no mystery rattle throughout thunderstorms. You did not have to require a roller change after the very first week. That is the standard.
Impact rating does not equivalent breakproof. Laminated glass can break under severe impacts, however it must remain in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends debris into the glass, you might see star fractures or spidering. The window did its job. Change the sash or IGU after the event.
Window films do not convert non-impact windows into cyclone impact-resistant windows. They can include shatter resistance, however they do not replacement for a tested, anchored system. Your insurance provider and building department will not count films as safeguarded openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows reduce air leak. That's fantastic, but it increases the importance of an appropriately sized HVAC with great dehumidification. If your system is oversized, the thermostat satisfies quickly and fails to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your a/c pro to examine practical heat ratio, air flow, and run time. You desire stable, longer cycles, not short bursts.
Maintenance is straightforward however not optional. Clean weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lube hardware annually with a silicone-based item that will not gum up in heat. Small habits extend lifespan.
There are genuine factors to mix options. A set of hardly ever utilized garage windows can keep removable panels to shave spending plan. A deep-set patio with minimal sun exposure may do great with accordion shutters if you focus on other upgrades like a new roof deck accessory or a prepared garage door. Shutters can also protect outdoor kitchen areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age elegant hardware prematurely.
If you select shutters, invest in quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with handbook overrides for roll-downs make a distinction. Appoint obligation for deployment and practice once fenestration code compliance outside of a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you need 32 wing nuts is not the morning you wish to discover you have 29.
Impact windows are not only about making it through the huge one. They improve daily living. The living room stays cooler and quieter. The air conditioning cycles calmly instead of racing at 4 p.m. You sleep without freight trains of wind sound when a squall line passes at 2 a.m. When a typhoon threatens, your preparation list gets much shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and concentrate on individuals rather than panels.
For many of my customers, that intangible is the choosing element. They know storms will come. They likewise know life in South Florida is too good to live inside a fortress that just awakens in August. Miami-Dade approved windows give you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February morning and peaceful confidence when the spaghetti designs point our way in September.
If you are weighing the option, begin with a site-specific assessment. Match your exposures to design pressures, choose the ideal laminated glass stack for wind and heat, select frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and hire a crew that respects the load path. Done right, energy‑efficient impact windows deliver what shutters can not: defense that never ever requests a ladder and a much better home every day of the year.